Piano action



Oct. 16, 1962 F, A. GUTH 3,058,382

PIANO ACTION Filed July 24, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet l l? 4 37 ,y y l i A *nn 4 '47 59"` K y/ 57 4l f 2.1. 13

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PIANO ACTION Filed July 24, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w 75 K n a A@ 7 /7 5INVENTOR, Frederick A'. Guth BY W Oct. 16, 1962 F. A. GUTH 3,058,382

PIANO ACTION Filed July 24, 1959 s sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOR, Frederick A.Gurh 7mm/M MW nited States 3,058,382 PIANO ACTION Frederick A. Guth,Rte. 3, Waverly, Ohio Filed `Iuly 24, 1959, Ser. No. 829,46() 4 Claims.(Cl. 84-249) This invention relates to certain new and usefulirnprovements in piano action by which the string-striking hammer of apiano is actuated by depression of the key upon the keyboard.

The present invention is particularly adaptable to pianos of the uprighttype, and is more particularly devised to provide pianos of this typewith an improved repetitive action, comparable to, and in some instancessuperior to, the action which is acquired in grand type pianos.

It has long ybeen a problem recognized by the manufacturers of pianosand of piano actions that the arrangement conventionally used in pianosof the upright type have been fundamentally incapable of the sensitiverepetitive actions such as of a staccato nature which can more easily beachieved in a piano action of the grand piano type. It accordingly hasbeen the purpose of many designers and inventors to attempt to solve theproblem involved, and there have heretofore been numerous attempts alongthis general line. These attempts have, however, failed to provide aneillcient or commercially successful piano action which couldeffectively provide for a desired quickly repetitive action insuringagainst mis-striking of the key upon the keyboard, and further insuringthat upon each stroke of the key the hammer would again strike the pianostring.

The primary difficulty which has heretofore been encountered hasresolved itself into the diiliculty of maintaining the jack or ily(which forms the connecting portion between the whip, which is actuatedby the key, and the hammer butt which in turn actuates the hammer) iusuillcient contacting relationship with the hammer butt after initialstriking, to insure that upon a repetition of the striking sufilcientcontact between the ily and the hammer ybutt would be continued so thatupon subsequent quick striking of the key the actuation of the hammerwill result. Some attempts have led to a linking by positive linkage ofthe ily with the hammer butt. Other .arrangements have contemplated theprojection of levers and arms from the hammer butt for the purpose oflimiting the ily relative to the hammer butt and thereby accomplishing acontinued relationship. Even these eiforts, however, have provenineillcient primarily because the cumbersome nature of same has renderedthem dilllcult of operation and maintenance as well as unsure inaccomplishing the primary purpose desired.

The present invention contemplates the simple solution of the primaryproblem of providing for and insuring a repetitive action in a pianoaction of the upright and similar types by an improvement in the ily orjack in which the present invention is primarily concentrated, theimprovement essentially comprising the provision of the ily or jack witha hammer butt-engaging tip, which is hingedly engaged with the main bodyof the fly, is positioned for hinging or pivoting away from the string,carrying the tip of the ily thereby with the body of the hammer butt,and which hinged tip is spring-urged to remain in contact with thehammerbutt and promptly to return to upright or erect positionimmediately upon the release of pressure upon the key, enabling the ilyto maintain its position beneath the hammer butt and to be readyimmediately for a repetition of the stroke whether the fly hasstraightened under the spring action to alined condition or whether itmaintains a slightly hinged or bent condition.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new .andnovel ily or jack for a piano action.

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A further object of the present invention is to prov1de such a ily orjack which includes a tip hllgedly Secured to the ily or jack.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide such a hinged ily orjack in -which the ily assembly includes spring means urging the hingedtip to return to alined position.

A further object of the invent1on 1s to prov1de in a piano action ahinged ily or jack in which the fly or Jack is disposed for the hingingof the t1p away from 'the string to be struck by the hammer actuated byhtheaction.

A further object of the invention is to prov1de 1n such a hinged ily orjack a metallic tip actuated by a compression spring member for returnto alined cond1t1on.

A further object of the invention is to prov1de 1n a hinged ily, a tiphaving spring means acting thereon to urge return of the tip tocondition alined with the main body of the ily; and

A further object of the invention is to generally 1mprove the design,construction and eiilciency of ilies or jacks for piano actions.

The means by which the foregoing and other ob3ects of the presentinvention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment willbe readily understood from the following speciilcation upon reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a piano actionembodying an improved ily of the present invention with the actuatingkey in at-rest position.

FIG. 2 is a similar View on an enlarged scale illustrating the pianoaction including the ily of the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention in partially actuated condition.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating the parts of the devicewith the key fully depressed and the hammer striking the string.

FIG. 4 is a greatly magnified fragmentary view illustrating details of apreferred embodiment of the ily of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a View similar to FIG. 4 illustrating the ily of FIG. 4 inhinged, actuated position.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary rear view of the fly of the embodiment of FIGS.4 and S.

FIG. 7 is a View similar to FIG. 4 illustrating a modilication in theily of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a View similar to FIG. 5 illustrating the ily of FIG. 7 inhinged actuated position.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating a further embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. l0 is a further view similar to FIG. 5 illustrating the ily of FIG.9 in hinged actuated position.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicatedby numerals, the present invention is illustrated in its severalembodiments in connection with a typical piano action. There are hereinshown -in the drawings a unit of a piano action including a single keyand the action members related therewith, it being understood thatsimilar action members are included with the other keys of theconventional set of keys incorporated in the piano.

In the present embodiment the keys of the individual units `of the pianoaction are primarily supported from a keyboard 13. Each of the keys 15which is supported therefrom is mounted for a reciprocal action bydepression pursuant to pressure by the iinger of the player andsubsequent return to its normal or unactivated position after release ofthe pressure from the linger or hand of ythe player. These keys 15 arerespectively mounted upon front key pins 17, which eilectively serve toguide the key in its Ireciprocal action, and are balanced about acent-ral balance preferably being represented by a balance key pin 19.

To the rear end of keys are respectively connected linkageconventionally called stickers 21, the upper end of sticker 21 beingfirmly fixed to the rearward end of key 15, and at its lower end thesticker 21 is connected with a wippen or whip 23, the connection betweensticker 21 and whip 23 preferably being a pivotal connection as at 24.Whip 23 is pivoted as at 25 to one or more flanges 26 which are rigidlyfixed to the main rail 27 which extends throughout the piano action asis typical. Main rail 27 is preferably supported as from suitableframework 29 which consists of a number of similar elements spaced fromplace to place throughout the piano action, and which is adapted tosupport a number of the parts which are essential thereto.

Suitably mounted adjacent to and rearward of frame 29 are the pianolstrings 31 which are mounted upon and extended between back plateelements 33, 34. It will be understood that the back plate elements 33,34 are supported in usual fashion from the main body of the piano.

Rearwardly of the flanges 26 a spoon 35 is mounted upon, carried by, andextends upwardly from the rearward end of `whip 23. The spoon engagesagainst the lowermost end of a damper lever 37, a damper 39 beingconnected with the upper end of lever 37 and normally bearing againststring 31 in order to `dampen the vibration of the string. It will, ofcourse, be seen that, as is typical, the damper is movably responsive toactivation of damper lever 37 to and from engagement with the strings soas to free the string 31 for vibration upon suitable contact therewith.Damper lever 37 is pivoted to a damper flange 41, damper fiange 41 beingfirmly fixed to main rail 27.

Also firmly fixed to main rail 27 and extending above the upperextremity thereof are hammer butt flanges 43, to the upper extremity ofwhich are pivoted, as at 45, hammer butt means 47, a hammer shank 49being fixed to the butt 47 and projecting upwardly therefrom. At itsupper end a hammer 51 is fixed t0 shank 49, the hammer 51 being adaptedfor swinging movement into and out of contact with strings 31 so as tocause the vibration of the strings in the manner desired for effectingthe tone of the piano. Also mounted upon frame 2.9 is an upper `orhammer rail 53 provided with suitable padding against which the hammerShanks 49 rest when the hammers are not activated by the keys. Connectedwith hammer butt 47 and projecting forwardly therefrom is a catcher stem55 to which is fixed a catcher 57, the catcher 57 being disposed inengageable alinement with a back check 59,

the back check 59 being mounted upon a back check wire or connection 61,back check wire 61 at its lower end being fixed to whip 23. Also, as isconventional, a bridle tape 63 extends from a bridle wire 65 which isattached to whip 23 into engagement with hammer butt 47. Furthersupported as from frame 29 are a series of regulator buttons 67 whichare respectively disposed in association with each of the keys 15 of thepiano action, and are positioned for adjustable arrangement to regulatethe amount of movement responsive to the depression of the keys.

Rigidly fixed to whip 23, intermediate whip flange 26 and the pivot 24by which sticker Z1 is connected to the forward end of the whip, is ajack flange 69, to which is pivoted as at 71 the lower end of a jackbody 73. Adjacent, but forwardly offset from jack pivot 71, jack body 73is provided with a forwardly extending jack heel 75 which overlies whip23, and a compression spring 77 is interposed between heel 75 and theupper surface of whip 23 urging the maintenance of spacing between theheel and the whip during actuation of the present action. Heel 75 isalined with a regulator button 67, it being understood that each of thejacks in the composite piano action herein involved is respectively inalinement with the regulltor button 67 Which iS related with itsinterconnected I ack body 73 extends upwardly from whip 23 intoadjacency with hammer butt 47, and at its upper end jack body 73 isprovided with a jack tip 79 which is disposed in contact with the undersurface of hammer butt 47. The jack body and jack tip, comprising thecomposite jack of the present invention, are effective to transmit tothe hammer butt the thrust imparted upon actuation of the whip pursuantto depression of the key 15.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGS. l to 6,inclusive, jack tip 79 is hinged as at 8i1 to the uppermost end of jack-body 73. Preferably the hinge 81 is accomplished by providing jack tip79 with a pair of forwardly extending flanges 83 which embrace jacklbody 73, and the hinge comprises a pivot as at 81 mentioned aboveextending through flanges 83 and the jack body 73.

The composite jack of the present invention, which as hereinabovedescribed consists of the jack body and the jack tip hingedly connectedtherewith, further includes spring means which are adapted to urge thejack tip resiliently toward alinement with the jack body, meansconnecting the spring means with the jack body, and means connecting thespring means with the jack tip, these means also being effective toprevent the hinging of the jack tip toward the strings, and beingfurther adapted to yield under appropriate pressure in order to permitthe hinging of the jack tip away from the strings and toward the frontof the piano action.

Thus in the preferred embodiment the spring means consist of acompression spring -means 85 mounted upon a rod 87 by which the springis connected with jack tip 79, rod 87 passing through jack tip 79 andhaving a suitable head 89, the head 89 engaging against the tip 79 andbeing effective to limit the hinged movement of the tip rearwardlytoward string 31. At its opposite end rod 87 is engaged with a plate 91rigidly fixed to the upper end of jack body 73, the spring 85 ibeingadapted to yield under appropriate pressure so as to permit hingedmovement of jack tip` 719 vfo1vvardly relative to jack body 73 againstthe resiliency of spring `85, with the spring constantly urging returnof the tip toward aligned condition. Additionally, the tip 79 isprovided with a lower portion 93 which extends below the uper extremityof the rear of jack body 73 and effectively adds means preventing hingedmovement of tip 79 rearwardly toward the string so that the tip isprevented from moving rearwardly beyond alined condition with jack body73.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 a modification of the composite jack is illustrated. Inthese figures of the drawings the jack body otherwise similar to jackbody 73 is designated 173. To the upper end of jack body 173 .a jack tip179 is hingedly secured as by a jack tip pivot 181. In this embodimentof the invention a rod 187 extends through jack body 173, being`fastened at one end to a plate 191, which in turn is connected withjack tip 179. At its opposite end, remote from plate 191, rod 187 isprovided with a suitable head, and between the head and the jack body173 .a compression spring 185 is mounted upon the rod. Thus it will beseen that in common with the composite jack of FIGS. l to 6 there ishere an arrangement in which the composite jack is normally held inalined condition with the jack tip 179 alined with the jack body 173,with the composite means including limit means which are effective toprevent the jack tip from hinging rearwardly toward the strings of thepiano about the hinge 181. In the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 theselimit means primarily consist of the elongated plate 191 which extendsbelow the upper extremity of the rear of body 123. The spring means areconnected with the body of the jack and with the jack tip, and thespring is arranged to urge the jack tip into alinement with the jackbody while being adapted to yield under appropriate pressure for hingedmovement out of such alinement and forwardly away from the strings ofthe device.

In FIGS. 9 and 10 a further modification of the device is provided whichis basically similar to the device as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, with theexception of the modlication in the spring means. As in FIGS. 7 and 8,there is a jack body 173 and a jack tip 179 hingedly connected to thejack body as at pivot 181. Also, there is a curved rod 187 connected atone end to a plate 191, which rod projects through the jack body 173 andincludes at its outer end a head which is engaged with a spring means,in this instance consisting of a leaf spring 285.

In the operation of the piano action involving the present invention itis apparent from the structure as hereinabove described that acompletely new and novel jack in several comparable forms is hereinproposed. As a key 15 is depressed under the operation of the piano, thekey pivots about the balance pin 19, elevating the rearward end of key15 and carrying with it the upper end of sticker 21, thus elevating theforward end of whip 23. As is typical, as the whip 23 is elevated aboutits pivotal connection with the main rail the spoon 35 is forced againstthe damper lever, forcing the damper out of engagement with the string31, and thus freeing the same for vibration upon striking by the hammer51.

As the upward movement of the forward end of whip 23 is continued backcheck 59 is moved against the catcher 57, and, through the upward thrustagainst jack anges 69, the jack body 73, maintained in its relativeposition by jack spring 77, is likewise moved upwardly. Upon such upwardthrust the jack tip 79 thrusts against hammer butt 47, beginningswinging movement of the hammer about the pivot 45 of the hammer butt tothe hammer butt flange 43, this movement being accentuated due to thelength of the hammer shank and the extent thereof above the hammer butt.

As this upward thrusting movement is continued by the interaction of theback check with the catcher, as well as the action of the composite jackagainst the hammer butt, the tendency is to force the jack away from thethrusting position .against the hammer butt. As this force developsunder the operation of these elements, the jack tip 79, in its yieldingmounting which is here shown, is enabled to fold or hinge forwardly awayfrom its alinement with the jack body, and thus is enabled to permit themaintenance of the jack body in its alinement of thrust toward thehammer butt without requiring the forward deviation of the jack body orthe composite jack away from such thrusting alinement. Thus the jack tipis enabled to fold over, as is best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, so as toaccomplish the completion of the upward lift of the whip whilemaintaining the engagement of the jack tip with the hammer butt, thusimmediately upon the release of pressure upon key 15 and the consequentdropping of the whip to return toward its normal position the jack tipnevertheless is already in contact with the hammer butt and isimmediately available upon the simplest of lengthening of position toagain project into an alined condition under the action of the jack tipspring S5. It will be observed that even though the jack tip has not hadan opportunity to fully return to condition alined with the jack body,nonetheless under the action of the jack tip spring urging the tiptoward such alinement upon a repeated striking of the key and thecontinued contact of the jack tip with the hammer butt a repeatedlaction of the hammer may be thereby achieved.

As is further apparent comparable and similar actuations result from thevariations in the composite jack structure such as are shown in FIGS. 7and 8, and FIGS. 9 and 10.

It will be seen that the resilient hinging of the composite jack assistsin the escape of the hammer from the string upon release of the key, yetmaintains the jack tip engagement with the hammer butt for quickrepetitive striking of the key and repeated actuation of the hammer.

It will be observed that tip 79 is essentially a flange like member,which may be metallic, and that portion 93 is a plate portion whichserves as limit means for jack alinement. Additionally spring l ismounted within the tip and above the upper end of jack body 73.

I1: will be understood that each of the hinges or pivots between thejack bodies and the jack tips is cushioned as by means of a tough feltin manner similar to the conventional cushioning of the other hingeand/or pivot actions in the piano, as for example the cushioning of thepivot between the hamer butt and the butt ange. The cushioning has notbeen herein shown as` the same is well understood in the art of pianoaction.

I claim:

1. A composite jack for use in a piano which includes keys at the frontof the piano for respectively actuating hammers to strike the strings ofthe piano positioned rearwardly of said keys, a piano action including ahammer having a hammer butt, and a Whip operable by one of said keys;said jack having a jack body pivoted at its lower end to said whip, ajack tip normally alined with said jack body and hinged to the upper endof said jack body, said tip being of a minor length relative to saidjack body and embracing the opposite sides of the upper end of saidbody, said tip extending above and overlying the end of said body intoengagement with said hammer butt, said tip being of substantially rightangular formation and having an upper part engaging said hammer butt, adepending part extending downwardly from the rear thereof and having apair of flanges embracing the sides of said jack body, the means hingingsaid tip to said body extending through said flanges to hingedly connectsaid tip to said body, limit means preventing hinging movement of saidtip out of alinement toward said strings, spring means carried by andforming part of said composite jack, means mounting said spring meansextending across lsaid jack body underneath said tip and below saidupper part of the tip, said mounting means being connected respectivelywith said body and said tip and urging alinement of said tip with saidbody, said spring means being shielded by said tip, said spring meansresiliently yielding to permit hinging movement of said tip out ofalinement in a direction away from said strings, said tip therebymaintaining contact with said hammer `butt during key actuation forrepeated thrust against said hammer butt.

2. In a piano in accordance with claim 1, a composite jack device inwhich said spring means is a compression spring.

3. In a piano in accordance with claim 2, a composite jack device inwhich said spring means is disposed above said jack body.

4. In a piano in accordance with claim 1, a composite jack device inwhich said limit means comprises plate means carried by said tip andextending below the upper extremity of the rear of -said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS651,799 Guild June 12, 1900 663,734 Darley Dec. 11, 1900 1,301,908Clutsam Apr. 29, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS 471,440 Canada Feb. 6. 1951

